Brave
by Espiritual
Summary: Usagi and the Senshi have been stripped of their powers and are now dependent upon Endymion and his generals for protection. They turn to the Preventers to learn more conventional means of defense only to find themselves in more danger than ever before.
1. I'll Be Strong

Be Strong

Stripped of my powers. Oh. My. Gods.

I looked at Mamoru and searched his face. His expression gave away nothing, but he knew exactly what I did. I'd lost my powers before, but the enemy had come back just the same. It'd taken a miracle to fight them off, and we were all out of miracles.

Dear gods, I felt so weak, so helpless, so defenseless, but mostly and worst of all, I felt so horribly useless. Facing the man I loved, I was more than a little ashamed that he would one day call me wife. I bowed my head so that he wouldn't have to see me.

Slowly, he placed his hands on my shoulders and looked into my eyes. "Fool," he chided, and pulled me forward. I stumbled awkwardly into his body. "You can cry when I'm here."

Tears began involuntarily welling up in my eyes. I fought them at first, but then I couldn't hold back the sobs anymore, couldn't choke them back. My body heaved and he just embraced me, just held me, just let me weep all my fears and sorrows into his chest. "You don't have to be strong," he whispered. "I'll be strong for the both of us."

It was such a naïve statement, it was so stupid, it was romance-novel-worthy, but he meant it, and I loved him for it.


	2. The Preventers

Author's Note: I would like to state before continuing that I'm using the personality types and histories from all 3 universes of Sailor Moon - - manga, anime and PGSM (live drama.) This means more mature characters than you would find in the anime. They're not out of character, I'm just dealing with a different set of personalities than most people do.

Chapter 1: The Preventers

Motoki smiled at us as we walked into the arcade and restaurant. Ever since Makoto had revealed her identity to him, he'd been nicer to us than ever before. This wasn't to say that he'd ever been mean, it just meant he now treated us like royalty. It was nice but unnecessary on his part.

Nephrite glanced up at me from behind the counter. The once terrifying general of the dark kingdom had been reduced to counter cleaning and other such demeaning tasks. He was adjusting to life here on earth and had since sworn his loyalty unto me.

"Looking for Haruka and Michiru?" he asked. I nodded in reply and he pointed over to the corner. "They're right over there, Usagi."

"Thank you," I said and continued over to their booth.

Haruka was the most masculine of the two, her body all muscle and hard lines instead of curves, her almost white blonde hair cut boyishly short and her clothes decidedly androgynous. As the former Soldier of Uranus, she had been the strongest of us all, the most ready to draw her sword in defense or offense, the most ready to protect me even against friends.

Michiru was almost the exact opposite in appearance. She was thin and curvy, like the waters upon which she called, her hair shoulder-length and wavy, her aquamarine eyes deep and beckoning in any whom would fall into their snare. As the former Soldier of Neptune, she had been undyingly loyal to both her lover and to me, ready to reflect the truth of any given situation

I scooted in next to Haruka, who was flipping through an auto racing magazine and sipping a glass of water. Today she'd decided upon a pair of blue jeans and a man's white shirt, un-tucked and a pair of flattering sunglasses. "Hello, kitten," she greeted, using her pet name for me. She leaned over and kissed me on the cheek. "Would you like anything? My treat."

Okay, seriously, she had to know better than to offer me that! But to be quite honest, since I'd lost my powers I'd been craving less food. I shared this information with my friends. Haruka scrunched her eyebrows together in what appeared to be worry.

"It could be that since you're no longer expending so much energy that you simply don't need as much energy supplements," Michiru offered. She'd favored a short jean skirt and green camisole. "I always found myself craving sweets after battle, didn't I, Haruka?"

The other woman chuckled. "And I always offered to be your plate." I blushed at the comment. They had no shame! "Anyways, are you sure you don't want anything?"

I thought for a moment, "Just a cola, please." She waved the waitress over and relayed my request.

"Princess," Michiru said, the mood darkening at that one word. She set down her Styrofoam cup of tea and folded her hands together in seriousness. "After our the battle with Galaxia, we all lost our abilities. I don't think any of us are so stupid as to believe our enemies aren't aware of this." My stomach dropped. I suppose I wasn't the only one worrying.

Haruka looked at me. "While we know how to protect ourselves should anything happen, we're afraid you don't." Okay, I couldn't disagree with that, but I wasn't entirely sure I liked where this was headed. "We understand that the Preventers have a new program. We would like you and the inner senshi to enroll."

"You would have to live there," Michiru added. "but that would just mean you'd have a lot more security than we can provide you on our own."

I blinked. Preventers. I barely knew anything about it beyond the fact that its goal was to prevent wars. I was vaguely aware of a headquarters here in Japan, somewhere in this prefecture, actually, but I'd never visited.

"You're kidding, right?" I asked, hoping, nay, praying that they were joking, but the looks on their faces were way too serious for that. Oh dear gods. Me, shoot a gun? Ha! They must have gone absolutely mad! Yeah, that was it. Galaxia must have stolen their minds along with their star seeds!

Did they understand what that would mean? I would have to explain it to my parents. I would have to leave my school…

"Kitten, we love you, not only as our princess but as our friend," Haruka explained, taking my hand and clasping it in her own. "We know Endymion and his generals have sworn to protect you, but you know as well as we do that it will take more than they to defend you once you're found to be powerless. Many will come to take their revenge upon you and we fear it will be more than any of us could bear to see you fall to their grasps"

"Not to mention what would happen to earth," Michiru reminded me, her voice suddenly gone quiet and gentle, like the calm before the storm. I wanted to stick my tongue out at her, but it didn't seem like the best idea considering the subject.

The waitress placed my cola down on the table in front of me and I smiled up at her. She smiled back. Never underestimate the power of a smile. Even without my powers, I was determined to save the world, if it was just by one smile at a time.


	3. Prophetic Dream

Chapter 3: Prophetic Dreams

After finishing my soda Haruka and Michiru offered me a ride home, which I accepted. It was already late and I was finding it difficult to keep my eyes open.

Haruka walked me to my door and up to my room. "If you need anything, kitten, just call." After a moment of awkward silence, she excused herself, explaining that she could leave the house on her own.

I watched her walk out to her car. She and Michiru shared a short but passionate kiss before driving into the night.

Smiling, I sat down on my bed and drifted off to sleep, still in my school uniform.

"They're coming," she said, her voice faint and distant. "They're coming, and I'm not even sure I could stop them."

The mists of sleep faded and she stood at the edge of the marble balcony, her gaze falling upon the earth below. It looked so peaceful. The colonies hovered across the skies, ugly, blatant reminders of the power shift.

The princess was just as beautiful as ever, her uniform regal and elegant, not intimidating at all. It was the sheer aura of her that felt dangerous. Just standing in her presence you could tell that she would lay you out without a second thought should your provoke her.

"I know." She looked at me, her blue eyes hard as stone. "I know you've lost your powers, and I know why."

She strolled towards me, her movements sharp and sure, like a predator's. I took a step back, but she was on me in a second. "The Moon is dead. Nothing grows here, there is no air to breathe, no water to drink," she seethed, her words becoming louder, more anxious, angry. "There is no more palace, no market. There are no balls, no concerts, no feasts." I stumbled as she advanced on me. "The Moon is _dead_, _this entire system_ is _dead_!"

"Who's coming?" I asked, desperate to distract her from her rant. I so did not want that anger and despair projected onto me. It was thick enough to choke. "Who can't you stop?" She blinked then stood up, stepped back and turned, pointing beyond the earth and colonies.

"Their planets were devastated by Galaxia during the Sailor Wars. Like starved ones they will come, they will come to claim that which is not theirs."

"You mean earth." She nodded. "And you mean the other Senshi, right?" Again, she nodded.

"If you are unable to fend them off, I will use what little power is left to destroy earth," she said. "It would be a mercy."

I almost couldn't believe what I was hearing, but I knew it to be true.

There had once been a time when there were thousands, millions, nay, billions of Sailor Senshi in this galaxy alone, but we had not been a cohesive group. We were warlike, vicious, animalistic and barbaric in our attempts to destroy each other.

She grew up in that time period. It was what made her.

"Bring life to the planets and they will restore unto you your powers. Bring this galaxy to life, Usagi. Do this or I will be forced to destroy you."


End file.
